Florida Statute 316.221 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXIII
MOTOR VEHICLES

Chapter 316
STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL

View Entire Chapter

316.221 Taillamps.—

(1) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a combination of vehicles, shall be equipped with at least two taillamps mounted on the rear, which, when lighted as required in s. 316.217, shall emit a red light plainly visible from a distance of 1,000 feet to the rear, except that passenger cars and pickup trucks manufactured or assembled prior to January 1, 1972, which were originally equipped with only one taillamp shall have at least one taillamp. On a combination of vehicles, only the taillamps on the rearmost vehicle need actually be seen from the distance specified. On vehicles equipped with more than one taillamp, the lamps shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable. An object, material, or covering that alters the taillamp’s visibility from 1,000 feet may not be placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied over a taillamp.

(2) Either a taillamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear registration plate and render it clearly legible from a distance of 50 feet to the rear. Any taillamp or taillamps, together with any separate lamp or lamps for illuminating the rear registration plate, shall be so wired as to be lighted whenever the headlamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted. Dump trucks and vehicles having dump bodies are exempt from the requirements of this subsection.

(3) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.

History.—s. 1, ch. 71-135; s. 1, ch. 79-97; s. 173, ch. 99-248; s. 10, ch. 2000-313; s. 17, ch. 2006-290.

F.S. 316.221 on Google Scholar

F.S. 316.221 on CourtListener

Amendments to 316.221

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Civil Citations / Citable Offenses under S316.221

R or S next to points is Mandatory Revocation or Suspension

S316.221 TAILLIGHTS - No/improper-2 red lights required (exception on vehicles made prior to 01/72) - Points on Drivers License: 0

S316.221 REGISTRATION PLATE(TAG) LIGHT - White light visible from a distance of 50' required - Points on Drivers License: 0

S316.221 (1) Tail Lights None/improper - Points on Drivers License: 0

S316.221 (2) No Tag Light (Dump trucks and dump bodies are exempt - Points on Drivers License: 0

Cases Citing Statute 316.221

Total Results: 23

Doctor v. State

596 So. 2d 442, 1992 WL 45029

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Mar 12, 1992 | Docket: 404607

Cited 72 times | Published

§ 316.220, Fla. Stat. (1987) (headlamps); id. § 316.221 (taillamps); id. § 316.222 (stop lamps and turn

United States v. Tony L. Holloman

113 F.3d 192, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 11912, 1997 WL 228706

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: May 22, 1997 | Docket: 1066583

Cited 42 times | Published

suppress. AFFIRMED. 1 . Section 316.221(2) of the Florida Uniform Control Law requires

Hilton v. State

901 So. 2d 155, 30 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 453

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 16, 2005 | Docket: 1666294

Cited 16 times | Published

clearly legible for 50 feet, as required by section 316.221(2). Snead, 707 So.2d at 770, involved an inoperable

Frierson v. State

851 So. 2d 293, 2003 WL 21800407

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 6, 2003 | Docket: 1691423

Cited 12 times | Published

and adjustment as required in this chapter." Section 316.221(1), Florida Statutes (2000) requires a motor

Williams v. State

640 So. 2d 1206, 1994 WL 397620

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 3, 1994 | Docket: 1371488

Cited 11 times | Published

v. State, 588 So.2d 1014 (Fla. 2d DCA 1991); § 316.221, Fla. Stat. (1993). Second, we conclude that the

Joseph v. State

588 So. 2d 1014, 1991 WL 203124

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 11, 1991 | Docket: 1708223

Cited 9 times | Published

first issue, the stop was not pretextual. Section 316.221, Florida Statutes (1987), requires that a motor

Lemon v. State

580 So. 2d 292, 1991 WL 85550

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 22, 1991 | Docket: 1716952

Cited 7 times | Published

an additional invalid purpose. Id. at 1097. Section 316.221, Florida Statutes (1987), requires a motor

United States v. Holloman

908 F. Supp. 917, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18963, 1995 WL 755326

District Court, M.D. Florida | Filed: Dec 12, 1995 | Docket: 1019275

Cited 5 times | Published

having a tag light in violation of Florida Statute § 316.221(2). After being told that the officers did not

Andrews v. State

540 So. 2d 210, 1989 WL 24749

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 22, 1989 | Docket: 1219367

Cited 4 times | Published

2d DCA 1982). However, appellant overlooks section 316.221(2), Florida Statutes (1987) which provides

Wilhelm v. State

515 So. 2d 1343, 12 Fla. L. Weekly 2657

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Nov 20, 1987 | Docket: 1468457

Cited 4 times | Published

infraction, an inoperable tail light. However, section 316.221, Florida Statutes (1985), provides in pertinent

State v. Schuck

913 So. 2d 69, 2005 WL 2373878

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 28, 2005 | Docket: 146822

Cited 3 times | Published

founded suspicion that it was in violation of section 316.221(1)[3] regarding taillamps, which provides,

Langello v. State

970 So. 2d 491, 2007 WL 4404597

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Dec 19, 2007 | Docket: 1324021

Cited 2 times | Published

believed this violated section 316.221(2), Florida Statutes (2004). Section 316.221(2) requires vehicles

State v. Lee

957 So. 2d 76, 2007 WL 1372731

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 11, 2007 | Docket: 1679278

Cited 2 times | Published

operating justified the traffic stop under section 316.221(2), and whether or not the deputy further inspected

State v. Miller

565 So. 2d 886, 1990 WL 118952

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 17, 1990 | Docket: 1725964

Cited 2 times | Published

stop was made because of a traffic violation (section 316.221(2), Florida Statutes (1987)), and during the

K.S. v. State

85 So. 3d 566, 2012 WL 1317950, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 6050

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 18, 2012 | Docket: 60307384

Cited 1 times | Published

Webb, 398 So.2d 820, 824 (Fla.1981). . Section 316.221 governs taillamps in motor vehicles and provides

Davison v. State

15 So. 3d 34, 2009 Fla. App. LEXIS 5827, 2009 WL 1378125

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 19, 2009 | Docket: 1660983

Cited 1 times | Published

the officer was mistaken in his belief that section 316.221(2), Florida Statutes (2007), required the tag

Paul v. State

991 So. 2d 404, 2008 WL 4276328

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 19, 2008 | Docket: 1725302

Cited 1 times | Published

if it posed a safety hazard. Id. Similarly, section 316.221(1), Florida Statutes (2002), does not require

Cole v. State

838 So. 2d 1205, 2003 WL 288947

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 12, 2003 | Docket: 1269601

Cited 1 times | Published

driving at night with an inoperable tag light); § 316.221(2), Fla. Stat. (1999). Cole also challenges the

Classy Cycles, Inc. v. Bay County

201 So. 3d 779, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 14507

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 28, 2016 | Docket: 60257072

Published

lighted lamps are required), § 316.220 (headlamps), § 316.221 (tail-lamps), § 316.222 (stop lamps and turn signals)

KS v. State

85 So. 3d 566, 2012 WL 1317950

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 18, 2012 | Docket: 2415740

Published

Webb, 398 So.2d 820, 824 (Fla.1981). [2] Section 316.221 governs taillamps in motor vehicles and provides

Tackett v. State

745 So. 2d 477, 1999 Fla. App. LEXIS 15431, 1999 WL 1043952

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Nov 19, 1999 | Docket: 64792450

Published

illuminate the license plate as required by section 316.221(2) of the Florida Statutes (1997), and as a

United States v. Hollomon

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: May 22, 1997 | Docket: 236183

Published

nonconsensual search of his vehicle. 1 Section 316.221(2) of the Florida Uniform Control Law requires

Keener v. State

290 So. 2d 513, 1974 Fla. App. LEXIS 8017

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 22, 1974 | Docket: 64537387

Published

HOBSON and GRIMES, JJ., concur. . Fla.Stat. § 316.221, F.S.A., (1971). . See, LaFave, “Street Encounters”

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, Esq., a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney. Attorney Syfert regularly works with Chapter 316 in the context of traffic and automobile accident law and represents clients throughout Northeast Florida. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.